2020 Margaux 2ème Cru Classé, Château Durfort-Vivens

• Style: Silky Bordeaux blend, refined and balanced
• Taste: Violet, blackcurrant, cloves, tobacco — elegant and concentrated
• Food: Roast beef, game, venison, lamb, aged cheese
• Occasion: Gifting, cellar investment, special dinners
• Serve: Now through 2040, decant 30 mins, 16–18°C

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

A seductive marriage of dark fruit depth and silken texture: ripe, concentrated blackcurrant and violet lift the palate, with cloves, spice and light tobacco weaving through. The tannins are smooth and refined, the length lingering with remarkable finesse. This 2020 captures the balance that autumn's warmth and September precision allowed — fruit ripeness held in check by freshness, structure without harshness.

The Winery — Château Durfort-Vivens

A second-growth Margaux estate whose lineage stretches to the 14th century, when the Durfort family arrived in Bordeaux, and formally to 1824, when Viscount Labat de Vivens inherited the 55-hectare property. Gonzague Lurton has run the vineyard since converting to organic and biodynamic farming in 2013, a commitment reflected in the purity of every vintage. The 2020 blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot was fermented with indigenous yeasts for 21 days, then aged 18 months split between new oak and clay amphorae — meticulous, minimal-intervention winemaking that yields wine free from residue and alive with character.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Durfort-Vivens shines alongside roasted beef, game, venison and lamb — any dish where richness meets savoury depth. The wine's refinement also pairs beautifully with aged hard cheese. Drink now for its immediate elegance, or cellar it for 15–20 years, when the tannins will have softened into complexity. At the table, decant 30 minutes before serving at 16–18°C. This is a classic France red for those who gift seriously, who build cellars, or who simply seek the authentic voice of a historic estate farmed with care and intention.